Icy pole, ice block : popsicle Jackaroo : a male trainee station manager or station hand (a station is a big farm/grazing property) Jillaroo : a female trainee station manager or station hand J oey : baby kangaroo Journo : journalist Jug : electric kettle Jumbuck : sheep Kangaroos loose in the top paddock : Intellectually inadequate ("he's got kangaroos loose in the top paddock") Kelpie : Australian sheepdog originally bred from Scottish collie Kero : kerosene Kindie : kindergarten Knock : to criticise Knock back : refusal (noun), refuse (transitive verb) Knocker : somebody who criticises
Lair : a flashily dressed young man of brash and vulgar behaviour, to dress up in flashy clothes, to renovate or dress up something in bad taste Lair it up : to behave in a brash and vulgar manner Larrikin : a bloke who is always enjoying himself, harmless prankster Lend of, to have a : to take advantage of somebody's gullibility, to have someone on ("he's having a lend of you") Lippy : lipstick Liquid laugh : vomit Lob, lob in : drop in to see someone ("the rellies have lobbed") Lollies : sweets, candy London to a brick : absolute certainty ("it's London to a brick that taxes won't go down") Long paddock : the side of the road where livestock is grazed during droughts Longneck : 750ml bottle of beer Lucky Country, The : Australia, where else? Lunch, who opened their? : OK, who farted? Lurk : illegal or underhanded racket
Maccas (pron. "mackers") : McDonald's (the hamburger place) Mallee bull, as fit as a : very fit and strong. The Mallee is very arid beef country in Victoria/South Australia. Manchester : Household linen, eg sheets etc. Mappa Tassie : map of Tasmania - a woman's pubic area Mate : buddy, friend Mate's rate, mate's discount : cheaper than usual for a "friend" Matilda : swagman's bedding, sleeping roll Metho : methylated spirits Mexican : a person from south of the Queensland or New South Wales border Mickey Mouse : excellent, very good. Beware though - in some parts of Australia it means inconsequential, frivolous or not very good! Middy : 285 ml beer glass in New South Wales Milk bar : corner shop that sells takeaway food Milko : milkman Mob : group of people, not necessarily troublesome Mob : family or herd (?) of kangaroos Mongrel : despicable person Moolah : money Mozzie : mosquito Muddy : mud crab (a great delicacy) Mug : friendly insult ("have a go, yer mug"), gullible person Mull : grass (the kind you smoke) Muster : round up sheep or cattle Mystery bag : a sausage Nasho : National Service (compulsory military service) Naughty, have a : have s*x Never Never : the Outback, centre of Australia Nipper : young surf lifesaver No drama : same as 'no worries' No worries! : Expression of forgiveness or reassurance (No problem; forget about it; I can do it; Yes, I'll do it) No-hoper : somebody who'll never do well Not the full quid : not bright intellectually Nuddy, in the : naked Nun's nasty, as dry as a : dry Nut out : hammer out or work out (an agreement, say)
O.S. : overseas ("he's gone O.S.") Ocker : an unsophisticated person Offsider : an assistant, helper Old fella : penis Oldies : parents - "I'll have to ask my oldies" Op shop : opportunity shop, thrift store, place where second hand goods are sold. Outback : interior of Australia Oz : Australia! Paddock : see 'long paddock' Pash : a long passionate kiss; hence "pashing on" Pav : Pavlova - a rich, creamy Australian / New Zealand dessert Perve (noun & verb) : looking lustfully at the opposite s*x Piece of piss : easy task Pig's arse! : I don't agree with you Piker : Someone who doesn't want to fit in with others socially, leaves parties early Pink slip, get the : get the sack (from the colour of the termination form) Pint : large glass of beer (esp. in South Australia) Piss : beer. Hence "hit the piss", "sink some piss" Plate, bring a : Instruction on party or BBQ invitation to bring your own food. It doesn't mean they're short of crockery! Plonk : cheap wine Pokies : poker machines, fruit machines, gambling slot machines Polly : politician Pom, pommy, pommie : an Englishman • See the complaint about "Pom" etc. Pommy bastard : an Englishman (see also 'bastard') Pommy shower : using deodorant instead of taking a shower Pommy's towel, as dry as a : very dry - based on the canard that Poms bathe about once a month Porky : Lie, untruth (pork pie = lie) Port : suitcase (portmanteau) Postie : postman, mailman Pot : 285 ml beer glass in Queensland and Victoria Pozzy : position - get a good pozzy at the football stadium Prezzy : present, gift
Quid, make a : earn a living - "are you making a quid?" Quid, not the full : of low IQ. [Historical note: 'quid' is slang for a pound. £1 became $2 when Australia converted to decimal currency] Rack off : push off! get lost! get out of here! also "rack off hairy legs!". Rage : party Rage on : to continue partying - "we raged on until 3am" Rapt : pleased, delighted Ratbag : mild insult Raw prawn, to come the : to bulls**t, to be generally disagreeable Reckon! : you bet! Absolutely! Reffo : refugee Rego : vehicle registration Rellie or relo : family relative Ridgy-didge : original, genuine Right, she'll be : it'll be all right Right, that'd be : Accepting bad news as inevitable. ("I went fishing but caught nothing." "Yeah, that'd be right.") Rip snorter : great, fantastic - "it was a rip snorter of a party" Ripper : great, fantastic - "it was a ripper party" Ripper, you little! : Exclamation of delight or as a reaction to good news Road train : big truck with many trailers Roadie (also called a traveler) : a beer you buy to take away with you Rock up : to turn up, to arrive - "we rocked up at their house at 8pm" Rollie : a cigarette that you roll yourself Roo : kangaroo Roo bar : stout bar fixed to the front of a vehicle to protect it against hitting kangaroos (also bull bar) Root (verb and noun) : synonym for f**k in nearly all its senses: "I feel rooted"; "this washing machine is rooted"; "(s)he's a good root". A very useful word in fairly polite company. Root rat : somebody who is constantly looking for s*x. Ropeable : very angry Rort (verb or noun) : Cheating, fiddling, defrauding (expenses, the system etc.). Usually used of politicians Rotten : drunk - "I went out last night and got rotten" Rubbish (verb) : to criticize
Salvos, the : Salvation Army, bless them Sandgroper : a person from Western Australia Sanger : a sandwich Sav : saveloy (see also "fair suck of the sav!") Schooner : large beer glass in Queensland; medium beer glass in South Australia Scratchy : instant lottery ticket Screamer : party lover; "two pot screamer" - somebody who gets drunk on very little alcohol Seppo : an American Servo : petrol station Shag on a rock, stands out like a : very obvious Shark biscuit : somebody new to surfing She'll be right : it'll turn out okay Sheepshagger : A New Zealander Sheila : a woman S**t house (adj.) : of poor quality, unenjoyable ("this car is shit house", "the movie was shit house") S**t house (noun) : toilet, lavatory Shonky : dubious, underhanded. E.g. a shonky practice, shonky business etc. Shoot through : to leave Shout : turn to buy - a round of drinks usually ("it's your shout") Show pony : someone who tries hard, by his dress or behaviour, to impress those around him. Sickie : day off sick from work (chuck a sickie = take the day off sick from work when you're perfectly healthy!) Skite : boast, brag Skull/Skol (a beer) : to drink a beer in a single draught without taking a breath Slab : a carton of 24 bottles or cans of beer Sleepout : house verandah converted to a bedroom Smoko : smoke or coffee break Snag : a sausage Sook : person or animal who is soft, tame, inoffensive. Hence sooky (adj.) Spag bol : spaghetti bolognese Spewin' : very angry Spiffy, pretty spiffy : great, excellent Spit the dummy : get very upset at something Spruiker : man who stands outside a nightclub or restaurant trying to persuade people to enter Sprung : caught doing something wrong Spunk : a good looking person (of either sex) Squizz (noun) : look - "take a squizz at this" Standover man : a large man, usually gang-related, who threatens people with physical violence in order to have his wishes carried out. Station : a big farm/grazing property Stickybeak : nosy person Stoked : very pleased Stonkered : beaten, defeated, cornered, perplexed Strewth : exclamation, mild oath ("Strewth, that Chris is a bonzer bloke") Strides : trousers Strine : Australian slang and pronunciation Stubby : a 375ml. beer bottle Stubby holder : polystyrene insulated holder for a stubby Stuffed, I feel : I'm tired Stuffed, I'll be : expression of surprise Sunbake : sunbathe Sunnies : sunglasses Surfies : people who go surfing - usually more often than they go to work! Swag : rolled up bedding etc. carried by a swagman Swaggie : swagman Swagman : tramp, hobo
Tall poppies : successful people Tall poppy syndrome : the tendency to criticize successful people Tallie : 750ml bottle of beer Taswegian : derogatory term for a person from Tasmania Tea : supper Technicolor yawn : vomit Tee-up : to set up (an appointment) Thingo : Wadjamacallit, thingummy, whatsit Thongs : cheap rubber backless sandals Throw-down : small bottle of beer which you can throw down quickly. Tickets, to have on oneself : to have a high opinion of oneself Tinny : can of beer Tinny : small aluminium boat Tinny, tin-arsed : lucky Togs : swim suit Too right! : definitely! Top End : far north of Australia Trackie daks/dacks : tracksuit pants Trackies : track suit Troppo, gone : to have escaped to a state of tropical madness; to have lost the veneer of civilisation after spending too long in the tropics. Trough lolly : the solid piece of perfumed disinfectant in a men's urinal Truckie : truck driver True blue : patriotic Tucker : food Tucker-bag : food bag Turps : turpentine, alcoholic drink Turps, hit the : go on a drinking binge Two up : gambling game played by spinning two coins simultaneously
Ugg boots : Australian sheepskin boots worn by surfers since at least the 1960s to keep warm while out of the water. Also worn by airmen during WW1 and WW2 because of the need to maintain warmth in non-pressurized planes at high altitudes. Ugg : ugly. hence Ugg boots Uni : university Unit : flat, apartment Up oneself : have a high opinion of oneself - "he's really up himself" Up somebody, get : to rebuke somebody - "the boss got up me for being late" Useful as an ashtray on a motorbike / tits on a bull : unhelpful or incompetent person or thing - "he, she or it is about as useful as tits on a bull" etc. etc. Ute : utility vehicle, pickup truck Vedgies : vegetables Vee dub : Volkswagen Veg out : relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable) Vejjo : vegetarian Vinnie's : St. Vincent De Paul's (charity thrift stores and hostels) WACA (pron. whacker) : Western Australian Cricket Association and the Perth cricket ground Waggin' school : playing truant Walkabout : a walk in the Outback by Aborigines that lasts for an indefinite amount of time Walkabout, it's gone : it's lost, can't be found Weekend warrior : army reservist Whacker, whacka : Idiot; somebody who talks drivel; somebody with whom you have little patience; a dickhead Whinge : complain White pointers : topless (female) sunbathers Whiteant (verb) : to criticise something to deter somebody from buying it. A car dealer might whiteant another dealer's cars or a real estate salesman might whiteant another agent's property Wobbly : excitable behaviour ("I complained about the food and the waiter threw a wobbly") Wobbly boot on, he's got the : drunk Wog : flu or trivial illness Wog : person of Mediterranean origin. A milder insult than the same word in the UK and perhaps elsewhere. Wombat : somebody who eats, roots and leaves (see also root) Woop Woop : invented name for any small unimportant town - "he lives in Woop Woop" Wowser : straight-laced person, prude, puritan, spoilsport Wuss : coward; nervous person or animal XXXX : pronounced Four X, brand of beer made in Queensland Yabber : talk (a lot) Yabby : inland freshwater crayfish found in Australia (Cherax destructor) Yakka : work (noun) Yewy : u-turn in traffic ("chuck a yewy at the next traffic lights") Yobbo : an uncouth person Zack : sixpence (5 cents) - "it isn't worth a zack", "he hasn't got a zack"